Korea closes its last state-run coal mine, marking end of an era

“Even the dogs carried 10,000-won bills in their mouths.” So went a popular saying that captured the heady days of Gangwon Province’s mining towns at their peak. In the 1960s and '70s, these coal communities thrived amid a boom that transformed the region into a symbol of working-class prosperity. The coal industry’s golden age began with a 1961 law that paved the way for large-scale mine development. By 1966, coal supplied 45.7 percent of Korea’s primary energy, making it the nation's dominant energy source. Money flowed fast. Expensive bars set up shop in mining towns, and there are stories of customers leaving tips by switching on electric fans and tossing handfuls of cash from burlap sacks into the air. Another saying that captures the era’s excess: “If you work at a Korea Coal Corp. mine, you’ll get a bride without even being seen first.” Even in Gangwon Province mining hubs like Samcheok and Taebaek, which had dozens of mines, those under the state-run Korea Coal Corp. held unmatched prestige. Next week marks the end of an era. The Dogye Coal Mine in Samcheok, GangwWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times